Submarine signaling apparatus



Jan. 1, 1935. B, HMUTTE 1,986,647

SUBMARINE S IGNALING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1952 Patented Jan. 1, 1935 UNITED Sierras Parser! omcs 4 shaman srgsi APP iA'rUs I Germany, auignor to Submarine Signal Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application March 26, 1932, Serial No. 601,419

In Germany-May 13, 1981 13 Claims. (CL 181-05) The present invention relates to a system for submarine signaling-and in particular to a system in which a group of soundreceivers mounted on a so-called sword may be projected through 5 the bottom of the vessel into the water and also be withdrawn again automatically by such machinery as will be capable of being operated even though the sword should be fouled or stuck.

The difliculty experienced with prior mechanisms of this nature is that quite frequently the sword carrying the receiving apparatus may be fouled by logs or by the vessel scraping a sand bar, or in other ways, and, that thereafter in attempting to retract the, sword into the vessel it frequently happens that the operating mechanism is jammed to such an extent that it is considerably damaged and can not thereafter be used. a a In the present invention this is overcome by 2o' -the use of magnetic coupling elements-which al-'- low sufllcient slip so that if it is impossible to work the sword up or down, the mechanism will turn around and nothing else will happen.

The present invention under normal conditions may be operated automatically or manually or by combined automatic and manual means. The operation of the mechanism comprises, if the sword is retracted within the vessel, first opening a gate or shutter and then driving the swordthrough a shaft into the water. In withdrawing the mechanism from the water the sword is first retracted and then the gate is closed. Various indicating mechanisms are provided to indicate the position that the apparatus may be in.

The wholemechanism may be operated by three push buttons,.on'e designated A which is operated for projecting the sword into the water, another designated E which is used to withdraw the sword, and a third designated Hwhich is used to provide manual operation. In the system described in the present specification when one operation takes place it is impossible for the opposite mechanism to be operated and in this way absolute safety is insured.

Three groupsof switch mechanisms are provided; the lower group indicated in the drawing providing the direct and reverse drive of the motor, the middle group providing the switches operated by the limit control elements, and the third 60 r upper group providing the switch elements for operating the magnetic coupling means. Without further describing the general fea-' tures and advantages of the present invention, the invention will be described in connection driving theshutter spindles.

with the drawing in which Figure 1 illustrates,

the entire schematic operating mechanism and Figure 2 indicates a detail on the line 2-2 of Figure "1 showing the shutter for operating .the sword. V

In Figure 1 of the drawing 10 denotes a pro- 5 iecting device including a piston 60 and a sword for supporting underwater sound receiving or transmitting apparatus; 11 indicates the driving spindles for moving the sword; 12 a pair of meshing gears for operating the driving spindles; 13 a 10 "cylinder or casing in which the sword can be retracted and 13' the housing for a sluice or shutter through which the casing can be shutoff from i the outer water. l4 and 15 are spindles for driving the shutter operating mechanism; 16 a shaft 15 for driving the sword spindles and 1'7 a shaft for L1 is a'screw'thread upon the spindle 16. and 132 a screw thread upon the spindle 15. W1 is a threaded collar having, a projecting arm and 20 moves upon the threads L1, and W2 is a similar means adapted to move upon the threads L2. W1 and W: are guided in their travel so that they do not rotate with the shafts 16 and 17. E3 and E4 associated with the collar W1 are switches operated by the collar W1. E1 and E2 are switches associated with the collar W2 and operated by it. M is an electric motor which works into a gear box G. K1 and K: are electromagnetic coupling elements. H1 and H2 are handwheels for the hand operation of the sword spindle and the shutter spindle respectively. S1 to St are safety switches operated by coils C1 to C6 which control links-a to k and C07 and Cu; delay relays operating switches Sm and Sue, respectively. A, E, H are control switches, and zero, as well as 1 to 6, are junction or contact places. a to k I are electrical connecting linksoperated in pairs by coils C1 to C6. s'1 and s: are indicating signal lamps. work and 20 is the power switch for throwing. the system, across the line. 1 The manner of operation of the projecting gear is as follows. If the switch E is closed, a current 4 flows over the network 18 and 19, through the switch 20 when closed, the holding switch H, switch E and then to contact 1, link a over the winding of the safety relay C1, contact point 2,

end switch E1, contact point3 over the protectvfuses P1 and P2, the holding switch H, the points l8 and 19 are leads of the power netclosing the circuit of the winding Cs lthe line .7

makes contact so that the circuit for the winding of the safety relay C1 is closed through the fuses P1, P2, the holding switch H, point 6, 4, f, 1, a, C1, 2, E1, 3 and fuses N2 and N1 and the coil C1 remains connected in circuit. By closing the switch S1, simultaneously, the circuit through the fuses P1, P2, winding S5, 2, switch S1, end switch Ea, point 5, point 3, and fuses N2 and N1 is completed across the power line. As a result of this the coil of the delay relay C121 is excited and the relay switch S111 after the proper time delay is closed, and thereby the magnetic coupling K1 is energized. The motor now drives the shaft 16 to move the sword spindle 11.

At the closing of the switch S5 the link 71: is raised so that the safety winding C6 and therewith the relay CD8 and the coupling K2 cannot be put in circuit as long as the coupling K1 is active. As the shaft 16 rotates the threaded spindle L1 is rotated and the threaded collar-W1 carrying a projecting arm ismoved from the switch E4 to the switch E3. The left electrode of the switch E4 connects to the sword signaling lamp s'1. The right electrode removes the open circuit to the switches S2 and S4, as far as the switch E is concerned, as soon as the moving collar W1 leaves in its motion the switch E4, a spring tension being exerted to force the switch E1 to its right position.

When the moving collar W1 reaches the switch E3, the latter becomes reversed in connection, the switch being moved to the right and thereby the energizing current of the switch coil C5 is interrupted. The switch S5 opens and therewith the delay relay C221 so that the coupling K1-is cut out of the circuit. The'link contact 70 is closed so that the circuit for the coil of the safety relay C6 is closed across the network, the fuses P1 and P2, 0, winding Cs, k, the right pole of S1, the right pole of E3, 5, 3 and the fuses N2 and N1. The safety coil C6 C10SeSjtS switch, energizes the time .delay relay CD8 and puts in circuit the coupling K2.

The motor-which during the switching runs freely in the same direction now drives the shaft 17 for moving the shutter spindle 14 and 15 through the coupling K2, and the moving collar W2 which is carried on the rotating thread Le leaves the switch E2 which thereupon drops to the lower position from that indicated in the drawing. The upper pole of the switch E2 puts in circuit the signaling lamp 3': and completes the circuit to the safety coil Cs. At the lower end of the threaded spindle L2 the moving collar W2 operates the end switch E1, the lower pole of which cuts out the signaling lamp and the upper pole of which breaks the current of the safety coil C1.

Following this, I) is opened and c is shut. with the opening of b. the coil C3 has no current and the switch S3 cuts out the motor. Through the opening of the switch S1 the current of the network through the fuses P1 and P2, point 0, the winding Ce, contact k, the right switch pole of E3, 5, 3, and fuses N2 and N1 is broken so that Co and, as a result, C'Da have no current in them,

and the coupling K2 after several seconds is cut out of circuit.

If Cos after a delayed cutting out of the circuit is again out in, the coupling will be cut out of the circuit at a little time later than the motor so that the shutter through the dying out of the motor is securely closed. Then for the first time the coupling is opened.

The reverseoperation takes place if the switch so that the shutter is opened through the motion of the spindle 14 and 15. The moving collar W2 leaves the switch E1 and moves to the switch E2. As soon as the latter reaches it, through the opening of the contact of the lower switch pole E2, the coil Cs and therewith C011 and the coupling m is cut out of circuit while the motor continues to run. The coil C6 in opening closes the bar.

contact 2' and energizes thereby the coil C5 which on its part operates the relay CD7 and therewith the coupling K1. The motor now drives the shaft 16 to move the sword spindle and moves out the sword whereby W1 leaves the switch E3 and moves to the switch E1. Arriving there the switch E1 opens the circuit of the coils C2 and C4 so that both coils are cut out of the circuit. On account of the opening of S2, S5 and S121 are also opened. The coupling and the motor are thereby cut out of circuit.

Through the holding contact H the gear, if necessary, can be entirely out out'of the circuit whereby the corresponding coils C1 and Ca, and likewise C2 and C4 have no current through them. In such cases in which the delayed opening of the coupling can be dispensed with, naturally the relays C121 and Cot can be omitted or the circuits can be so arranged that C5 and C6 are made as time-delay relays so that CD8 and CD7 can be dispensed with as-time-delay relays. If the network 18 and 19 from which the power is supplied for any reason whatsoever is opened, the shaft 17 for the movement of the shutter spindle can be operated directly through the handwheel H2, and the shaft 16 for the operation of the sword spindle can be operated by the handwheel H1 directly. The coupling between K1 and the driving gears G, likewise the coupling between K2 and the driving gear G, is thereby broken. One can insert in the coupling magnet a resistance regulator and thereby regulate the strength of the coupling either by hand .or automatically.

Instead of the fuses there can be used overload circuit relays. The gear can also be operated in such a fashion that in overloading the coupling is weakened or wholly or partly is cut out. Instead of using both shafts 16 and 17 for the automatic movement of the shutter and sword spindles, respectively, by means of the electromagnetic coupling, one can also drive only be manually controlled switch 20. 4

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a system for projecting gear from within a vessel and retracting the same comprising a chamber having a shutter opening to the outer medium, means for opening said shutter and except the main-line I means controlled by the opening of the shutter jecting the gear into the outer medium and driving element.

means operated by the retraction of the gear for closing said shutter.

4. In a system for projecting gear from within a vessel and retracting the same comprisinga chamber, a driving element, a piston operated by said driving element carrying said gear movable in said chamber, means for projecting said gear downwards including a magnetic couplingelement elastically coupling said gearto said 5. In a system'ior projecting gear from within a vessel and retracting the same comprising a chamber and a shutter therefor, a piston carrying said gear adapted to move in said chamber, means for projecting said gear downwards and means for operating said shutter, both said last meansbeing provided with magnetic elastic coupling elements for operating said gear and said shutter.

6. In a system ior projecting gear from within a vessel and retracting the same, a driving mo.- tor, a spindle operated by said motor for projecting the gear, a magnetic coupling element tor coupling said driving motor tosaid spindle and a .time delay circuit for energizing said magnetic coupling. j

I. In a system for projecting in a vessel and retracting the same, a driving motor, a spindle operated by said motor ior projecting the gear, a magnetic coupling element ior couplingsaid driving motor to said spindle, and

means ior uncoupling the driving motor and pping the same when the end positions of operation have been reached.

gear from with-'- a vessel and retracting the same, a driving motor,

a spindle operated by said motorrior projecting or retracting said gear, a magnetic coupling element for coupling said driving motor to said spindie, a shutter, 'a spindle and second magnetic coupling element for operating said shutter and means for deenergizing either or both of said .coupling elements and individual. means ior op-' ter manually. v

10. In a system for projecting gear from within a vessel and retracting the same, a cylinder, a piston adapted to be moved in said cylinder and erating either said projecting gear or said shutcarrying at its end a soundtransmitting or re'-' ceiving sword, a plurality of spindles operating in said piston for raising or lowering the same,

a shutter and means operating said shutter to retracting the same, a well, sound signaling gear,

means supporting said sound signaling gear in said well, means for projecting and retracting said gear into the water medium from said well and returning the same and meanscontrolled by the position or the gear for ceasing thef'operation or said projecting and retracting means" at the two extreme positions of the gear.

18. In a system for projecting gear from with retracting the same, a well, sound signaling gear, means supporting said sound signaling gear in said well, electrical means for projecting and retracting said gear out of and into the well and means mechanically operated by said projecting and retracting means-for stopping the electrical v Y.

retracting means operationoi the projecting and in their extreme positions.

THEODOR BERNHARD ,in a vessel outward to the water'medium and 

